Snow and Ice Melter with Enhancements

ABSTRACT

A snow and ice melter having a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, and a flow director having a louver. The flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Snow and ice can be dangerous. People can slip and fall on surfaces that have snow and ice on them. Walkways, sidewalks, driveways, and the like can be particularly problematic. Removing snow and ice by hand with a shovel can cause considerable physical exhaustion and lead to back aches and/or cardiovascular damage, particularly for elderly users and those not in good physical condition. There is a long-felt need for an improved means to eliminate snow and ice from surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above advantages as well as other advantages not specifically enumerated are achieved by a melter having a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, and a flow director having a louver. The flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air. There is also provided a method of melting snow or ice. The method includes providing a melter having a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, and providing a flow director having a louver. The flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air.

Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snow and ice melter in accordance with the present invention with the flow director in a generally lowered position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the melter shown in FIG. 1 with the flow director in a generally elevated position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational side view of the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational front view of the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 a is an elevational view of an air chute with movable louver which may be employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 b is an elevational perspective view of a heat shield which may be employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 c is an elevational side view of a heat shield which may be employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 d is an elevational front view of a heat shield employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 e is an elevational side view of a heat shield and a wind shield employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 f is an perspective top view of a wind shield, also referred to as a wrap around skirt, which may be employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 g is a bottom view of a wind shield, also referred to as a wrap around skirt, shown with axles and wheels which may be employed with the melter shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of, and is a continuation-in-part of, application Ser. No. 11/120,052 filed on May 3, 2005 and entitled Snow and Ice Melter—which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

Preliminarily, it should be noted that certain terms used herein, such as for example “front”, “rear”, “above”, and the like, are used to facilitate the description of the invention. Unless otherwise specified or made apparent by the context of the discussion, such terms and other directional terms should be interpreted with reference to the figure(s) under discussion. Such terms are not intended as a limitation on the position in which the invention or components may be used. Indeed, it is contemplated that the components of the invention may be easily positioned in any desired orientation for use. Likewise, numerical terms such as for example “first”, and “second” are not intended as a limitation or to imply a sequence, unless otherwise specified or made apparent by the context of the discussion.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a melter, indicated generally at 10, in accordance with the present invention. The term “melter” is understood to include a structure generally having the ability to change water and/or other fluid from a solid to a liquid state and/or gaseous state. The melter 10 may be a snow melter and/or an ice melter. The illustrated snow and ice melter 10 includes a body 14, a handle 18, and a flow director 22.

A variety of terms useful to understand the drawings are employed. A few such terms are explained more fully herein. The term “louver” is understood to include a shutter and/or finned or vaned device for controlling a flow of air. The term “operatively connected” is understood to include a linking together of the portions under consideration and may include a physical engagement and/or a functional or operational connection. The term “heating unit” is understood to include a piece and/or complex of apparatus serving to perform the function of generating heat. The term “pivotally connected” is understood to include a connection relating to, or constituting a point, shaft and/or pin or the like on which something turns.

The illustrated body 14 is adapted to support a heating unit 28 to heat air. The illustrated body 14 is a generally boxy member having a support 32 for the heating unit 28. The body 14 may be supported by a plurality of wheels. A pair of rear wheels 36 are provided on a rear region of the body 14 and a pair of front wheels 40 on a front region of the body 14. The rear wheels 36 are located generally under the handle 18. It will be appreciated that the rear wheels 36 are generally larger in diameter than are the front wheels 40. For example, the rear wheels 36 may be ten inch diameter locking wheels or a suitable substitute and the front wheels 40 may be eight inch diameter wheels or a suitable substitute. Any suitable placement, type, size, and number of wheels may be employed. As a result, it will be noted that the body 14 defines an acute angle with the generally level surface on which the wheels rest, as shown. The body 14 is shown to generally slant forwardly.

The heating unit 28 is shown generally above the body 14. The heating unit 28 may be a kerosene fueled turbo heater or any other suitable type of heater. The heating unit 28 may use kerosene or diesel fuel or jet fuel or any other suitable fuel. For example, a Mr. Hearter model MH21Kt/HS210kt with an estimated capacity of 210,000 btu/hr heater may be employed—as may others. The heating unit 28 may heat air. The heating unit 28 may provide any suitable amount of heat, such as for example, within the range of from about 30,000 B.T.U to about 210,000 B.T.U. [British thermal units]. A fan 44 may be operatively connected to the heating unit 28. The fan 44 may be employed to push heated air.

The illustrated handle 18 is shown secured to the heating unit 28 support 32. The handle 18 may include a brace 48. The illustrated brace 48 is a support and spans the width of the handle 18. The handle 18 may be adjustable in height to accommodate operators of differing heights. The uppermost portion 52 of the handle 18 may include a grip or other features to facilitate grasping of the handle 18 by the operator's hands (not shown). The left side of the lowermost portion 56 of the handle 18 is shown in FIG. 3 to be secured to the support 32 by three fasteners. Any suitable fasteners may be employed, such as for example screws, bolts, and the like. Adhesives may also be employed.

The flow director 22 is shown pivotally connected to the heating unit 28. It will be noted that the flow director 22 is shown in a relatively elevated position in FIG. 2. It will be noted that the flow director 22 is shown in a relatively lowered position in FIGS. 1 and 3. The flow director 22 is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air heated by and/or in the heating unit 28. The illustrated flow director 22 includes a louver 60. The illustrated louver 60 is generally planar. The louver 60 may be provided on a first end 68 of the flow director 22. The second end 72 of the flow director 22 is operatively connected to the pivot 64. The louver 60 may be movably mounted on the flow director 22. The flow director 22 may be movably mounted on the heating unit 28.

As shown primarily in FIG. 1, An axis A-A is shown generally positioned longitudinally through a central portion of the heating unit 28. An axis B-B is shown generally positioned longitudinally through a central portion of the flow director 22. The axis A-A and the axis B-B define an angle C. The angle C is an obtuse angle, as shown, when the flow director 22 is positioned toward the surface on which the wheels are resting, such as a surface having snow or ice to be melted. The angle C is shown facing toward the body 14. The flow director 22 may be removably connected to the heating unit 28.

The term “axis” as used in this application may be understood to include, but is not limited to, a generally straight line about which a body or a geometric figure rotates or may be supposed to rotate. The “axis” may be a generally straight line with respect to which a body, component, or figure may be generally symmetrical. The “axis” may be a reference line of a coordinate system. The term “angle” as used in this application may be understood to include, but is not limited to, any structure or functionality which defines or creates a corner. The corner may constitute a projecting part or an enclosed or partially enclosed space. The corner may be generally straight, generally curved or arced—or partially straight or curved. The term “angle” may also include the space between two lines or surfaces at or near the point at which they touch or intersect.

A heat shield 76 may be employed with the snow and ice melter 10. The heat shield 76 is shown primarily in FIGS. 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, and 5 e. The illustrated heat shield 76 is an angle iron having a generally L-shaped profile—but may have any suitable shape. The heat shield 76 is shown at the front part of the snow and ice melter 10.

A wind shield 80 may be employed with the snow and ice melter 10. The wind shield 80 is shown in FIGS. 5 f, 5 g. The wind shield 80 may provides lateral and rear protection for the body 14. The illustrated wind shield 80 includes four openings. Each pair of openings is provided to accept an axel for a pair of wheels, as shown in FIG. 5 f and FIG. 5 g. The illustrated wind shield 80 may be positioned generally outwardly of the body 14.

In operation, the melter 10 may be employed to melt snow and/or ice. The melter 10 may be moved and/or positioned to a convenient location by means of the handle 18 and the rear wheels 36 and the front wheels 40. The heating unit 28 may be activated to produce heated air. The fan 44 may be activated to push the heated air. The flow director 22 may be positioned on the pivot 64 in any suitable fashion. The louver 60 may be positioned on the flow director 22 in any suitable fashion. For example, the louver 60 may be directed to a patch of snow or a suitable portion of an icy sidewalk.

The following U.S. patents or publications are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully reproduced; Number Date Inventor 6,553,693 Apr. 29, 2003 Desmarais et al. 4,092,789 Jun. 6, 1978 Arfons 3,136,488 Jun. 9, 1964 J. J. Petlak et al. 3,847,137 Nov. 12, 1974 Lambertoni 3,174,477 Mar. 23, 1965 La Roy A. Wilson 3,041,748 Jul. 3, 1962 D. C. Wetzel 3,291,118 Dec. 13, 1966 La Roy A. Wilson 3,228,125 Jan. 11, 1966 H. J. Wiebe 3,359,969 Dec. 26, 1967 J. H. Bertin et al. 5,867,926 Feb. 9, 1999 Schmitt

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the accompanying description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The disclosure may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including equivalent constructions. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract and disclosure are neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor are they intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 

1. A snow and ice melter comprising: a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, the heating unit being generally provided along a first axis longitudinally through a central portion of the heating unit, and a flow director removably connected to the heating unit and having a louver, wherein the flow director is provided along a second axis longitudinally through a central portion of the flow director, and the first axis and the second axis intersect to define an obtuse angle toward the body and the flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air generally toward a surface to be heated.
 2. The snow and ice melter of claim 1 further comprising a fan operatively connected to the heating unit and a heat shield secured to the body.
 3. The snow and ice melter of claim 2 wherein the louver is movably mounted on the flow director.
 4. The snow and ice melter of claim 3 wherein the flow director is movably mounted on heating unit.
 5. The snow and ice melter of claim 1 further comprising a handle operatively connected to the body, wherein the handle includes a brace to span the width of the handle.
 6. The snow and ice melter of claim 5 wherein the body of the snow and ice melter is generally tilted generally downwardly such that a rear portion of the melter is relatively raised above a front portion of the melter.
 7. The snow and ice melter of claim 6 further comprising wheels operatively connected to the body, wherein the body defines an acute angle with a generally level surface on which the wheels rest.
 8. The snow and ice melter of claim 1 further comprising a wind shield positioned generally outwardly of the body and including openings adapted to accept an axel for a pair of wheels.
 9. The snow and ice melter of claim 7 wherein the flow director is movably mounted on heating unit.
 10. The snow and ice melter of claim 7 wherein the louver is movably mounted on the flow director.
 11. A method of melting snow or ice comprising: providing a snow and ice melter having a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, the heating unit being generally provided along a first axis longitudinally through a central portion of the heating unit and providing a flow director removably connected to the heating unit and having a louver, wherein the flow director is provided along a second axis longitudinally through a central portion of the flow director, and the first axis and the second axis intersect to define an obtuse angle toward the body and the flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air generally toward the ice to be melted.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a fan operatively connected to the heating unit and a heat shield secured to the body.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the louver is movably mounted on the flow director.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the flow director is movably mounted on heating unit.
 15. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a handle, wherein the handle includes a brace to span the width of the handle.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the body of the snow and ice melter is generally tilted generally downwardly.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing wheels operatively connected to the body, wherein the body defines an acute angle with a generally level surface on which the wheels rest.
 18. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a wind shield positioned generally outwardly of the body and including openings adapted to accept an axel for a pair of wheels.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the flow director is movably mounted on heating unit.
 20. A snow and ice melter comprising: a body adapted to support a heating unit to heat air, the heating unit being generally provided along a first axis longitudinally through a central portion of the heating unit, and a flow director removably connected to the heating unit and having a louver; and a fan operatively connected to the heating unit; and a heat shield secured to the body; and a handle operatively connected to the body, wherein the handle includes a brace to span the width of the handle; and wheels operatively connected to the body, wherein the body defines an acute angle with a generally level surface on which the wheels rest; and a wind shield positioned generally outwardly of the body and including openings adapted to accept an axel for a pair of wheels, wherein the flow director is provided along a second axis longitudinally through a central portion of the flow director, and the first axis and the second axis intersect to define an obtuse angle toward the body and the flow director is pivotally connected to the heating unit and is generally adapted to direct a flow of the air generally toward a surface to be heated. 